H—47

1949 NEW ZEALAND

PRIME MINISTER'S DEPARTMENT INFORMATION SECTION REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1949

Presented to Both Houses of the General Assembly by Leave

FUNCTIONS 1. The functions of the Information Section are — (a) The preparation of publicity material requested by Government Departments, including advertisements, films, film strips, photographs, exhibition material, and the provision of a common editorial service for books, pamphlets, and other publications,. except where Departments can more convenientlv and economically produce the material internally. (b) To provide information and publicity services and materials to New Zealand Government overseas posts and the general dissemination overseas of information about New Zealand. (c) To undertake information and publicity services as required on matters which are of inter-departmental scope or not assigned to particular Departments. 2. In particular these functions include—(i) The maintenance of certain news services as described in paragraph 7. (ii) The production, commissioning, and supply of official films. (iii) The distribution (theatrical and non-theatrical) of such material at home and abroad. (iv) Supplying or producing general publicity photographs for use in New Zealand and overseas and maintaining a central library of such photographs. (v) The provision of laboratory services to execute photographic and film developing and printing required by Government Departments. (vi) The preparation of designs for and the producing of Government exhibitions and displays, and the production of display material and posters for Departments as requested. (vii) Maintaining a central reference service which will prepare, obtain, and supply reference material for information and publicity services in New Zealand and overseas when requested. (viii) Assistance to visiting overseas press correspondents, cinema-photographers, and lecturers by the provision of material, and otherwise facilitating their knowledge of New Zealand affairs. ORGANIZATION 3. For the performance of its duties the Information Section of the Prime Minister's Department is organized into the following parts : Reference Section, Journalist Section, National Film Unit, National Publicity Studios, Administration,